Of Ex-Boyfriends And Voodoo Dolls
by punchbag-mcshizzle
Summary: There's been a bit of a misunderstanding, really, because as far as Nico knows, he can't actually curse people with voodoo dolls. Doesn't matter now anyways, after all, he got a boyfriend out of it.


**Summary:** _There's been a bit of a misunderstanding, really, because as far as Nico knows, he can't actually curse people with voodoo dolls. Doesn't matter now anyways, after all, he got a boyfriend out of it._

* * *

 ** _~Of Ex-Boyfriends And Voodoo Dolls~_**

Will Solace is a good boyfriend, he was understanding, caring and yes, admittedly jealous on occasions but, all of those within a certain kind of basis. Will Solace is a good boyfriend. An ideal one. Probably far too good that his now ex-boyfriend had ended up getting bored and dumping him for someone else.

'It's not you, it's me'

Cliche breakup line from the movies that Will never would have thought would be delivered to him. And he had started wondering, where had he gone all wrong?

"It's been a month-

-and three days!"

"Not relevant, Leo" Rachel spoke before focusing her attention back to Will "As I was saying, it's been far too long, Will. Give yourself a chance to heal and move on from that guy."

"Not the easiest part, Rachel."

"Whoever says it is?" Rachel countered "But, you're not going to get somewhere if you don't help yourself take that first step. Seriously, you're way much more than this mopping, pathetic guy we barely recognize."

"Fine" Will finally contemplate "But what do I do?"

"Why don't we start by getting some revenge on a certain douche?" Lou Ellen closed the book she was reading, finally deciding in joining the current conversation "So, any of you ever heard of Nico di Angelo?"

* * *

"Who?" Will blinked, confused.

"Oh. That guy?" Cecil spoke up, not even bothering to look up from his phone screen "Rumors had been circulating that he's a dark arts enthusiast and that he can help you curse someone with voodoo dolls if you happen to pay him the right price. Never met the guy but people say he's to be avoided."

"It's the modern age, I don't know but witchcraft seems pretty outdated," Leo spoke causing Lou Ellen to throw her book at him without a second thought. She hit him with a bull's eye.

"Hey!" Lou Ellen yelled in protest "No bashing around, Valdez! I happen to be an enthusiast, so you know."

"Okay, okay. I'm, sorry" Leo touched his forehead and winced. That book hurt, then again, he's at fault. "So, are we going to hunt for this Nico guy?"

"Of course, how hard would it be?"

"Guys, I don't think it's necessary. Maybe we should just leave the guy alone?" Will tried to protest.

"Nah"

Of course, he was outvoted.

* * *

Nico di Angelo, turns out, is a pretty elusive guy who knows how to interact with the least amount of people possible. Seriously, it would either be he's already gone or he was never there.

Will and his friends can't seem to catch him no matter what.

"You guys look restless," Travis Stoll made a comment as he took a seat on their table. "Pretty sure our school don't do Track,"

"We're kind of looking for someone, actually" Lou reached out for her juice box and punched the hole with her straw. "You know a lot of things, right? Say, can you help us?"

"Depends on the kind of help."

"Do you know where we can find Nico di Angelo?" It had been Rachel who had asked. Travis instantly looked at them as if they're crazy.

"I don't like that look in your eyes" Leo comically covered his eyes.

"Why are you looking for di Angelo?"

"It's none of your business, Stoll" Rachel spoke a bit impatient "Just tell us where to find him."

"Sorry, I can't" Travis spoke "I might enjoy causing mischief but I'm not suicidal. If you want to get to Nico, try talking to his bodyguards."

"Bodyguards? What?" Will blinked confusedly.

"Percy Jackson? Jason Grace? Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano? Those people? Ring any bells?" Travis had three fingers up "Long story but those three are like Nico's guard hounds. If you need something with Nico, get their approval first. Just warning you people, it won't be that easy."

"We'll take our chance."

* * *

After almost an hour of lifetime threats from Reyna and a way longer time being spent on listening to Jason and Percy's blabbering on how Nico is their bro and they would kill people who'll hurt him, they finally found out where to find the boy.

Turns out, he was nothing like Will had expected. Okay, maybe he did anticipate the dark get-up but not so much on the other things.

Apparently, Nico di Angelo is a freshman, about half a head shorter than Will, wears a lot of Black than is probably recommended, always seemed to either be too sleepy or too grumpy to care about the world... and walks around the camp as if emitting a really dark aura, prompting people to stay as far away from him as possible.

Also, he's an actual, total cutie and Will Solace can't help but stare.

"Do you need something?"

"W-what?"

The boy rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "I said, do you need something? If you don't, leave."

"Sorry, Are you Nico di Angelo?"

"What do you need?" Nico asked with a scowl, the door to his dorm room opening a bit wider.

"It probably might sound a bit crazy but, is it true that you curse people with Voodoo dolls? Like do you do witchcraft?"

"Excuse me?" The boy blinked, confusion and annoyance immediately being reflected in his eyes. "I do what now?"

"There's been a rumor circulating around campus, that you're secretly into witchcraft and the dark arts? And that you can put voodoo curses on people if you're paid the right price? I, uh, brought you happy meals?"

Nico di Angelo growled with frustration as the words started slowly sinking in.

"Thalia." The name was spoken almost murderously.

* * *

"This is all your fault."

Thalia blinked "Whatever are you blabbering about, dearest friend of mine. Do enlighten my innocent soul."

"You started that rumor and now guess where it's gotten me?"

"What rumor?"

"That I do voodoo curses. Seriously, Thalia, what were you thinking?"

"Oh, that. It'll pass soon, be happy you're currently the campus trend." Realization struck the girl but nonetheless remained nonchalant. Nico really wanted to strangle her with her own shoelaces.

He only managed to control himself because Hazel wouldn't like it if her brother accidentally kills someone with their own shoelace.

* * *

"Hey, Nico!" Will jogged over to where the other is.

"It's Will, right?"

"Uhm, yes. Listen, I just want to apologize for the misunderstanding." Will scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "It was wrong of me to just barge into your dorm room without gathering more information first and just assuming. That wasn't nice of me."

"It's cool, stop thinking too much about it." Nico waved the other of "Besides, you did still leave the happy meals. I take that as your debt being paid in full."

Will snickered at that.

"Do you need anything else? My next class is in the other building and I need to be there in fifteen minutes."

"Right. I'm, sorry." Will apologized "Okay, I'll make this quick and straight to the point then. Can we, like start over? Introduce ourselves properly?"

Nico's forehead furrowed before understanding hit him. He did a brief nod. "I guess so,"

The blond smiled causing Nico's heart to, for some reason, skip a beat "Hi, I'm Will Solace. I'm currently taking medicine as a course. It's nice to meet you."

Nico stared at the other, contemplating on whether he would take the outstretched hand or not. In the end, as if some invisible force had him do it, he did reach out.

"Nico di Angelo. Unfortunately, I don't do voodoo."

It was the start of a great friendship.

* * *

"That's your ex?"

Will looked over to where Paolo is and immediately seeing how the boy's hand is currently holding the hand of the very person Will had been dumped for. "Yeah, that's him."

Truthfully, Will had expected to still feel the hurt and betrayal upon seeing the other. Expecting himself to not have fully moved on. Surprisingly none of those ever came, unlike before.

Will suspects that the reason why is currently sitting beside him.

"Maybe I'm only saying this cause he's a douche but, really, he's not much."

And for some reason, Will doesn't mind at all.

"Yeah, I realize it now. He's not actually worth it."

* * *

Nico di Angelo isn't supposed to care for people except for those who had managed to make his rather short list. That's the way things had always been and how it should have remained.

And yet, here's Will Solace with his golden locks and freckled face and his expressive blue eyes and his sunny disposition making Nico unconsciously end up throwing his beliefs away.

How weird, he doesn't even knew the guy for one whole week and yet, here he is, caring about the other in greater heights that shouldn't be possible for someone he barely even knew.

It took a little while for Nico to realize that the care he's had for one Will Solace is far beyond that of friendship.

* * *

"Even if I really do voodoo and curse people, I don't think there's a part of you that would want something happening to him. Even if he did break your heart." The two were hanging out in Nico's room, having just finished a round of Mario Kart with Will currently on the lead.

"Yeah, you're probably right" Will finally nodded after a moment of pure silence, his voice dampening a bit. "I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

Nico looked at the other boy, staring as if assessing the other with the words he had just spoken. He pursed his lips, finally opening it up to speak. "No, you're not"

Will laugh, albeit it barely reaching his eyes. "You're only saying that to make me feel better."

Nico stared up at his own palms as if he can find answers within them. "Part of it, yes"

Will glanced "And the other part?"

Nico had let out a small smile but his eyes looked too far away.

 _"Maybe it's because I'm beginning to like who you are and I'm afraid of what your reaction might be."_

Those words had never been spoken.

* * *

"I have a solution!" Piper twirled a chair around and sat, facing Nico who blinked at her in confusion.

"I'm not exactly following..."

"You want to ask Will out, right?" Piper smirked

"Sort of? Yes." Nico admitted.

"Pretend to be his new boyfriend."

Nico looked unimpressed, a feat he seemed to be quite doing a lot these days and shook his head. "That's it? That's your grand solution?"

"Of course, it's full proof too."

"Piper, it's not that I'm doubting your skills but, fake dating is such an overused cliche troupe. Besides, what good would it do me?"

"A lot," Piper smirked. "Tell him that you're helping him move on from the guy and while you're at it, make him fall for you. Look, if this doesn't work, we still got plan B or if it turns out harder than expected, I'll chew my words from before and we'll ask Drew for help."

Nico still looked unconvinced.

* * *

"I would go out with you," Will speak up, his eyes glinting towards something Nico can't quite comprehend just yet "But, there's a catch."

"A catch?" Nico had asked Will out in the guise of it being just one pretend relationship. Yes, in the end, he did take Piper's advice. Still, Will talking about a catch was quite unexpected.

"Yes, a catch." Will nodded "You see, I actually do have some, demands."

Nico snorted at his words. Demands? Really? "Okay, let's hear these demands of yours."

"First, I get to pick where we'll go first."

"Fine by me." Nico readily agreed. It's not like he knows a lot about good dating places anyway. The downside of spending days outside of classes being cooped up in his dorm room.

"Next, I get to pay for, everything." Now, that one Nico never bothered hiding his frown and disagreeing, "No can do, Solace. I asked you out, I pay."

"Fine, we compromise and pay half each. Agree?" Nico nodded, it was a better deal than the first.

"Lastly, let's take the whole pretending out, shall we?" The blond spoke with his eyes filled with both hope and determination crashing in together.

"What?" Nico isn't quite sure he's heard right.

"I overheard your conversation with Piper," Nico's eyes widened at that, panic evident in his eyes which caused Will to raise his hands up in surrender "It was unintentional, I was passing by the room you two had been talking in. I heard her suggestion of you dating me. Fake dating to be precise."

Nico gulped, "About that, Will, let me-"

Will effectively cut him out, shaking his head. "The thing is that I don't want it to pretend. I don't want to be fake dating you, Nico. I want everything to be real."

"You want to what now?" Nico's eyes had slightly widened with surprise.

"A real date. I want a real date with you" Will explained "Look, Nico. I'm not even sure when it had started but, I really like you a lot."

"You like me. What?" The words almost didn't reach the cognitive part of Nico's brain wherein he's supposed to understand things. As if he, for some reason, had stopped properly functioning.

"Yes, Nico; I like you a lot," Will stated in repeat, his eyes doesn't seem to show that he minded saying those words over again. "And, based on what I've overheard, I know you like me too"

"That's um..." The smile on Will's lips was replaced with a frown.

"What's wrong? Have I actually misheard everything?"

"No, you didn't" Nico's eyes tried to look everywhere but on Will "It's just really unexpected. How can you even like me?"

Will smirked at that. "Well, we've got time to spare. Why don't we go out for coffee? I can tell you a hundred or more reasons as to why"

Nico still stared with shock until he had managed to get out of his own stupor. He let out a rare smile.

"I wish I could just take that offer. Unfortunately, I'm not a coffee person."

Will remained undeterred and the smile on his face didn't go away.

"There's this small restaurant that sells good chocolate drinks?"

Nico laughed and reached out to Will's hand, clasping it with his own. "Lead the way then, Solace."


End file.
